At an event hosted by Turning Point USA, founded by Charlie Kirk — a prominent pro-Israel conservative activist who was murdered this summer — US Vice President J.D. Vance delivered remarks that amounted to a clear attack on Tucker Carlson, without mentioning him by name.
Carlson has led opposition on the American right to any US action against Iran, repeatedly claiming that Israel seeks to drag President Donald Trump into regime change in Tehran. Vance rejected this narrative outright. “These people were wrong,” he said — even while stressing that Carlson is a personal friend.
At the same time, Vance ended his answer by emphasizing that the US president is “ready to stand up to anyone” when American interests are at stake. In context, that “anyone” clearly included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
What is more troubling, however, is not the policy nuance but the framing. Throughout his remarks, Vance appeared to defend himself against an underlying antisemitic trope — the claim that Israel and/or Jews manipulate the United States into acting against its own interests. Instead of decisively shutting down this narrative, Vance maneuvered around it, sounding defensive and even apologetic.